Typically, in an internal combustion engine, driving power is originated from the explosion of fuel. During the explosion, heat is generated and emitted and the power generated from the explosion is transferred to a piston. Therefore, the piston is exposed to high temperatures from the combustion of the fuel. Accordingly, measuring piston temperature is necessary for improving engine stability and performance.
A variety of methods for measuring piston temperature have been studied. One such unit is a telemetry unit. The telemetry unit has several advantages over other methods of measuring piston temperature. Some of these advantages include transmitting a piston temperature signal to the outside of the engine without wires and measuring piston temperature regardless of piston movement. In the typical methods employed the telemetry unit is mounted on the piston. A drawback of this configuration is that the piston must have a space for receiving the telemetry unit. Therefore, the piston must be specifically redesigned for measuring piston temperature.
A redesigned piston has a load distribution that differs from that of the original piston. Therefore, another drawback is that the friction between the piston and the cylinder wall changes. Accordingly, the redesigned piston has a piston temperature that differs from the original mass produced piston. Therefore, temperature readings from the redesigned piston do not accurately reflect the circumstances within the mass-produced engine.